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However, in the sixth Theses on Feuerbach (1845), Marx criticizes the traditional conception of human nature as a species which incarnates itself in each individual, instead arguing that the conception of human nature is formed by the totality of social relations. Thus, the whole of human nature is not understood, as in classical idealist philosophy, as permanent and universal: the species-being is always determined in a specific social and historical formation, with some aspects being biological.

This shows how Marx is not part of the individualism – not surprising as individualism is something that arises most fully in the capitalist era. The roots are there in Christianity and Buddhism. It is with Marx we see a shift in consciousness.

This is part of a current wave of meditation I seem to be going through on human nature. I’ve been stuck by the two essentialisms: Humans are inherently greed or inherently good. Marx’s idea is very freeing… Humans are a product of their social conditions. And it makes sense of his thinking that different classes produce different ideas. Ideas grow out of practice in social conditions.

I’m thinking of importing that one into this one – but found it quite hard to do it. It is an identity thing. I’m more a psychodrama person than a Psyberspace person these days. Dropped psychotherapy online. But is it an art blog? I’m wring a book called D R A M A http://www.walterlogeman.com/art/new-art-project/

It is not that I’m importing one blog into another – I’m integrating two identities I have. I think it will be good for me!

Cartoonist and theorist Scott McCloud has been making and thinking about comics for decades. He is the author of Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. This classic volume explores formal aspects of comics, the historical development of the medium, its fundamental vocabulary, and various ways in which these elements have been used.

Scott McCloud breaks down some of the universals in comics and guides us through some of the comic books that pushed the art form forward. Then we use that lens to look at graphic communication in the world at large.